Fabricating Chain Guards

[skipsb21]

I've got a 4' Rankin rough cut mower for my B21 and I didn't order the chain guards from the dealer. When I called, he said they had a local shop fabricate theirs, but were unhappy with them, so they're stuck with an inventory they can't sell. Has anyone made up their own? I have a nice MillerMatic 210 to weld with and basic fabrication skills, but I'm looking for dimensions and sizes.

1)What size flat bar?
2)What size chain?
3)How much chain should hang below the lip of the mower?
4)Should the chains be 'connected' somehow?

Thanks ahead of time for any responses, and if someone has a picture of their guards they'd like to attach, I could probably answer some of my own questions.

Aaron

 

[skipsb21]

Dang, I thought I was in the 'Build-It Yourself' forum. Oh, well. Chalk it up to a newbie and fire away!

Aaron

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I've built 2 sets over the last few years. First was on a Woods mower. #2 was on a Bush Hog brand cutter. Both were COMPLETELY different in the way they were "designed". As far as "the flat bar". Simply holding the chain is not so great of an effort. 1/8" stock would take care of that. Just remember that these "device's" will be on the leading edge and trailing edge OF A BUSH HOG. They won't lead a sheltered life. I'd go as heavy as possible. (1/4" MINIMUM) Remember also that you're adding weight to your mower. Do you have the lift capacity to handle these guards?

Another question is "how long"? On my 1st attempt, I made the chains long enough to extend 3" below the cutting blades. And on it's maiden voyage, I ended up cutting a few chains in two when they swung in and hit the revolving blades. (Only ONE link on the end touched the blades, but that was enough!)

My Bush Hog required me to extend the "hang point" of the chains back 4" from the rear of the mower deck. (Look at a picture of a Bush Hog model 286. . . I duplicated their design)

Now for chain size. My choice was dictated by what chain I had on hand. I replaced all my binder chain (for trailer) I had 5 chains, 15' long, and 3/8" link. They've been cannibalized for making chain guards. Plenty heavy enough. That's what I see as the only real "need". Make 'em heavy enough to resist being deflected when something does hit them.

The most fun comes when you start cutting all your chains. On the Woods mower, I cut 210 pieces of 8 links each. Sure wasn't something I want to do on a regular basis.

 

[Soundguy]

I priced the chain and flat back when i built a set for my 5' mower.. Price was too high. i instead went with a set of guards made from semi-truck mudflaps.

Cost was about 15$ for the mudflaps, and the all the connecting hardware, and piece of perfed angle brace to attach it. Took about 40 minutes to build and attach / adjust, and used common tools like a wrench, zip tie, drill/bit to drill the mud flaps..e tc.

This setup blocks dust and dirt kickup from the mower.. and after installing it.. no more rocks and sticks make it out the front.. this is improtant when mowing with a tractor that sets low and has an open back.. like a ford 8n.

Soundguy

 

[Bird]

Like Farmwithjunk, I've built two sets. On the first set, I had some tire chains on hand that I had no use for (don't see much snow in my part of the country) so I cut them up and welded them to pieces of angle iron which I bolted to a Bush Hog brand rotary cutter. They served the purpose, but I made a couple of errors. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Those twisted links from tire chains caught and held lots of grass so it was hard to clean them out. And I made the chains a little too long in the front and the angle iron not wide enough to hold the chains far enough out in front, so the blades shortened them for me. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif The second set was for a Howse rotary cutter and I used regular chain and wider angle iron and it worked just find. The biggest difference in what I made and the factory chain guards was the fact that I welded each length of chain to the angle iron instead of cutting slots and using a rod through the links. It's not the best picture to see the chain guards, but there's a picture of the Howse here.

 

[RonMar]

I like that with the chains out on the angle. It also makes sense welding them on. I hate wasting steel and by welding you could make use all the half links left over from the chain cutting process.

I havn't bothered making guards for my 5' Rankin as I have been out cutting away from everything and havn't had too much problem with debris getting up onto the back of the seat. I am also cutting in some pretty dense brush growth and that in itself keeps things from flying too far I will however eventually put front wheels on the deck and use it as a quasi finish mower. When working up near the public raod along the front of my property, cutting down on potential flying debree will be necessary to not aggrivate(or hurt the neighbors.

 

[skipsb21]

Thanks for the info and pics! That clears up most of my questions and I like the idea of the semi-mudflap as well. I have access to a bunch of mudflaps that aren't considered road worthy, but could easily be cut down for my purposes. I was initially thinking of just welding some lengths of chain to a piece of 1/4" flat bar, and bolting it to the predrilled holes on the cutter, but I think locating the chains away from the deck with angle iron is a good idea. I also like the use of rod to suspend the chain. I'm not looking forward to my time on the chop saw to cut the chain, but that's the joy of doing it yourself! Thanks again,

Aaron

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( not looking forward to my time on the chop saw to cut the chain )</font>

I used bolt cutters; much quieter. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

Ron, I first used my Bush Hog without guards, in my pasture with no one anywhere in the vicinity, but when I saw how far it could throw some things, I was afraid it might throw something forward and ruin a tractor tire. And before making the chain guards, I tried making guards from belting material that was much like truck mud flaps, but since I didn't know what I was doing, I got the front one too close to the blades and damaged that, and then brush and debris tore the rear one up. They didn't last long for me.

 

[JJPWAus]

Guy's am I missing something obvious here /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif , but why don’t you just weld the link horizontally to the angle and have a horizontal link at ground level then the chain will be one continuous length??